Twins to bring back Deduno to start Wednesday

By Anthony Odoardi / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The one good thing, if there is a good thing, about right-hander Samuel Deduno's seven-run thrashing by the Tigers on Saturday is it at least happened fast.

Due to the rainout on Friday, the Twins were presented with a dilemma: start Deduno on three days' rest or select a starter out of an already taxed bullpen to face the Yankees and duel CC Sabathia on Wednesday.

With Deduno throwing only 53 pitches, the decision for Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson was easy.

"We were definitely thinking that during [Saturday's] game -- that he'll probably be our starter on Wednesday," Gardenhire said. "Just bring him back and start him on Wednesday. We'll talk to Deduno also to see if he's up for something like that, which I don't think he'll have any problem with."

In his short career, Deduno's never pitched against the Yankees. But he'll hope to rebound from back-to-back "frustrating" outings. He'll also look to improve on his 1-3 record and 6.98 ERA in September.

Twins name Arcia, Hermsen top Minors players

DETROIT -- The Twins announced outfielder Oswaldo Arcia as their 2012 Sherry Robertson Award winner (Minor League Player of the Year) and right-hander B.J. Hermsen as their Jim Rantz Award winner (Minor League Pitcher of the Year) on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Arcia, the Twins' No. 5 overall prospect, began the year with Class A Fort Myers, where he played in 55 games and hit .309 with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 31 RBIs. He made the jump to Double-A New Britain and continued his success, posting a .328 batting average. Overall, he finished the season batting .320 between the two leagues with 17 home runs and 98 RBIs.

"He's ahead of the game," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He definitely knows how to take some hacks up there. He's fun to watch, and we saw that in Spring Training. He has no fear. He's a good one. He's going to be a good player."

Hermsen, the Twins' No. 14 overall prospect, also started the year in Fort Myers, but it proved to be a brief stay. In four starts, the 22-year-old was 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA, earning him a promotion to the Rock Cats by the end of April. The Twins' sixth-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft went 11-6 with a 3.22 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 22 starts at Double-A.

"Great numbers between two clubs again, so congratulations for him," Gardenhire said. "That's fantastic. We start looking at all our big-type prospects lists. He's not listed on the ones the Internet throws out there, but things like that put you on it."

The pair will be recognized with the other Twins' award winners on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, during the eighth annual Diamond Awards Dinner at Target Field.

Capps set to return to Twins on Monday

DETROIT -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire has expressed concern about having to overwork his bullpen, which has covered 21 1/3 innings over the past five games entering Sunday night's second game of a doubleheader. But they hope to receive a boost Monday.

Twins closer Matt Capps is scheduled to rejoin the team and be activated from the disabled list in time for Monday's game against the Yankees after missing the last 64 games with right rotator cuff irritation. His last outing was on July 15 against the Orioles when he gave up two runs on two hits in one inning.

"He threw a little bit over the weekend and he's joining us tomorrow, and we'll have him out in the bullpen," Gardenhire said. "We'll go day by day with him and see how we're going to use him. We don't want to push the limits too much. But he feels good, he threw good and we'll see what happens."

In his second season with the Twins, Capps has made 29 appearances and is 1-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 14 saves. Although it's unlikely he'll be back closing games, Gardenhire plans on using him.

"We're not going to go back-to-back-to-back or anything like that," he said. "We'll go a day here and we'll see how he feels the next day. The one thing I talked to him about, I don't want him to just come up here and pitch one time and say, 'OK, I'm good. I'm done.' He doesn't need that. ... But we're not going to overuse him."

Anthony Odoardi is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.